Ghostbusters (1984)

PG | 105 mins | Comedy, Science fiction, Fantasy | 8 June 1984

Director:

Ivan Reitman

Producer:

Ivan Reitman

Cinematographer:

Laszlo Kovacs

Production Designer:

John De Cuir

Production Companies:

Columbia--Delphi Productions, Black Rhino
Full page view
HISTORY

According to the 15 Jun 1984 issue of BAM magazine, writer-actor Dan Aykroyd conceived the idea for Ghostbusters based on his serious longtime interest in the paranormal. The 15 May 1982 LAT stated that the original treatment, then titled Ghost Smashers, entered development at Universal Pictures as a star vehicle for Aykroyd and former Saturday Night Live (NBC, 11 Oct 1975— ) cast member John Belushi. After Belushi’s death from a drug overdose on 5 Mar 1982, Aykroyd rewrote the script for Richard Pryor, and again for SNL co-star Bill Murray. With Murray attached, the 9 Dec 1982 DV announced that studios had begun bidding on the property, now known as Ghost Busters.
       The Jun 1984 issue of Cinefex magazine stated that the duo brought the project to Murray’s former Meatballs (1979, see entry) and Stripes (1981, see entry) director, Ivan Reitman, who quickly secured a deal with Columbia Pictures in May 1983 on condition that the picture be ready for release in just one year. Facing a severely shortened production schedule and a limited budget, Reitman called for major changes to Aykroyd’s verbose script, which depicted the “Ghostbusters” as an established society of interdimensional ghost chasers, and, according to the 15 Jun 1984 NYT, would have cost $200 million dollars to produce. Alternatively, items in the 22 Dec 1984 Screen International and 29 Jun--5 Jul 1984 LA Weekly indicated that the director envisioned the Ghostbusters as a misfit team of public servants, and decided to set the story in ...

More Less

According to the 15 Jun 1984 issue of BAM magazine, writer-actor Dan Aykroyd conceived the idea for Ghostbusters based on his serious longtime interest in the paranormal. The 15 May 1982 LAT stated that the original treatment, then titled Ghost Smashers, entered development at Universal Pictures as a star vehicle for Aykroyd and former Saturday Night Live (NBC, 11 Oct 1975— ) cast member John Belushi. After Belushi’s death from a drug overdose on 5 Mar 1982, Aykroyd rewrote the script for Richard Pryor, and again for SNL co-star Bill Murray. With Murray attached, the 9 Dec 1982 DV announced that studios had begun bidding on the property, now known as Ghost Busters.
       The Jun 1984 issue of Cinefex magazine stated that the duo brought the project to Murray’s former Meatballs (1979, see entry) and Stripes (1981, see entry) director, Ivan Reitman, who quickly secured a deal with Columbia Pictures in May 1983 on condition that the picture be ready for release in just one year. Facing a severely shortened production schedule and a limited budget, Reitman called for major changes to Aykroyd’s verbose script, which depicted the “Ghostbusters” as an established society of interdimensional ghost chasers, and, according to the 15 Jun 1984 NYT, would have cost $200 million dollars to produce. Alternatively, items in the 22 Dec 1984 Screen International and 29 Jun--5 Jul 1984 LA Weekly indicated that the director envisioned the Ghostbusters as a misfit team of public servants, and decided to set the story in contemporary New York City. To assist with the revisions, Reitman hired Harold Ramis, co-writer of Meatballs, Stripes, and Animal House (1978, see entry). Unlike Aykroyd’s version, the new draft spent considerable time introducing audiences to the concept of “ghostbusting,” and used technical terminology that was somewhat grounded in actual science. Ramis, who made his screen acting debut opposite Murray in Stripes, also signed on to play the team’s third parapsychologist.
       An 8 Nov 1983 HR production chart indicated that principal photography began in Oct 1983. According to Cinefex, exteriors were shot at locations in New York City, including the New York Public Library; Columbia University; an Art Deco housing cooperative at 55 Central Park West; and Hook & Ladder Company No. 8, which doubled as the Ghostbusters’ base of operations. Production notes in AMPAS library files state that filming was completed in New York City two days ahead of schedule, at which point production relocated to Stage 16 at The Burbank Studios in California. The sound stage housed a $1-million replica of “Dana Barrett’s” apartment rooftop and a cyclorama of the New York City skyline. At six stories tall, the 1 Dec 1983 DV claimed the structure was among the largest Hollywood sets ever to be built to that time. During filming, all other stages on the lot had to be shut down in order to supply enough power to light the set.
       Interiors of the apartment and a partial hotel set were constructed on a second sound stage, while a façade of the building entrance was recreated on The Burbank Studios ranch. Additional Los Angeles locations included MacArthur Park; the Millennium Biltmore Hotel; the book stacks of the Los Angeles Central Library; and the interior of a downtown firehouse. Principal photography was completed in Feb 1984, after fifteen weeks of shooting, with a total production cost of roughly $30 million.
       Meanwhile, Richard Edlund and the Entertainment Effects Group (EEG) team worked to complete the film’s numerous special effects within the limited timeframe. Before production began, associate producer Michael C. Gross found that most major effects facilities were unavailable on such short notice, and although eager, Dream Quest Images felt the requirements were “beyond their realm of experience.” Around this time, visual effects designer Richard Edlund decided to leave Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to open his own business in Los Angeles. As EEG founders Douglas Trumbull and Richard Yuricich hoped to assume new roles behind the camera, Edlund offered to acquire their facility in Marina del Rey under the name of Boss Film Corporation. Within days of accepting Ghostbusters, Edlund was also hired to work on 2010 (1984, see entry) for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Ill-equipped to accommodate overlapping productions, he negotiated a deal to split his team between MGM and Columbia.
       While several scenes featuring multiple ghosts were cut due to time and budget constraints, the five main creatures that remained in the film required a variety of visual effects techniques, including miniatures, puppetry, stop-motion, rotoscoping, and cel animation. Although never given a name in the final film, the gluttonous hotel apparition, later dubbed “Slimer” in The Real Ghostbusters (ABC Television Network, 13 Sep 1986—22 Sep 1991), was referred to as the “Onionhead ghost” by members of the crew. To save time, the Onionhead was performed by Mark Wilson, who wore a foam rubber suit reinforced with spandex, while mechanical designers used cables to operate the facial features. According to head ghost shop artist Stuart Ziff, the performance and personality of the Onionhead were modeled after John Belushi’s character, “John ‘Bluto’ Blutarsky,” in Animal House. To heighten the comedic effect, sequences were filmed at a decreased rate of eight frames per second.
       By contrast, scenes featuring the “Stay Puft Marshmallow Man” were shot at 72 frames per second. Sculptor Bill Bryan used three types of foam to construct the monster’s full body suit, which he wore while walking across a scale tabletop miniature of Eighth Avenue. For images depicting the Marshmallow Man’s fiery destruction, stuntman Brad Alan donned a version of the suit lined with a flame retardant foam called grey pyrothane. More than 200 pounds of shaving cream were used to create the “marshmallow” that coats the city after the climactic battle. According to the 15 Jun 1984 NYT, the Marshmallow Man was originally intended to emerge from the Hudson River, but Reitman felt the stunt was too technically challenging to shoot.
       Although not corroborated by contemporary sources, an obituary from the Feb-Mar 2000 issue of the Science Fiction Chronicle indicated that Paddi Edwards provided the voice of “Gozer.” LA Weekly suggested that Edwards was hired to dub over the heavy Slavic accent of actress Slavitza Jovan.
       A 27 Jun 1984 Var brief indicated that approximately fifty special effects technicians—including Wilson—were omitted from end credits in an attempt to compensate for budget overruns. The cut reportedly saved the studio $60,000 in print costs.
       While visuals were crucial to the final film, Reitman began screening Ghostbusters for preview audiences in Mar 1984 to determine how the comedic elements played without completed effects. LA Weekly stated that Columbia continued to test the film each week throughout the post-production process. The 11 Jul 1984 DV indicated it was around this time the studio launched a nationwide promotional campaign featuring the popular “No Ghosts” logo, which generated early interest in the film despite making no mention of the title or its stars.
       The 3 May 1984 HR reported that a gala benefit premiere was scheduled to take place 7 Jun 1984 at the Avco Center Cinemas in Westwood, CA. Proceeds were donated to St. John’s Ambulatory Care Center in Santa Monica, CA.
       Ghostbusters was a critical and commercial success. Although the film faced strong summer competition against Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins (see entries), a 12 Jun 1984 DV box-office report listed an opening weekend gross of $13,612,564 from 1,339 theaters. On 11 Jul 1984, DV announced it had surpassed Tootsie (1982, see entry) as Columbia’s best opening week to date, with $22,767,496. According to the 8 Aug 1984 NYT, Ghostbusters remained number one at the box-office for seven consecutive weeks until the release of Purple Rain (see entry) on 27 Jul 1984. Two weeks later, however, Ghostbusters regained the top spot, bringing its three-month total to $152.9 million. The 29 Jul 1985 HR stated that picture went on to earn $235 million in the U.S. during its initial theatrical run, making it the second biggest hit of 1984 behind Beverly Hills Cop (see entry). According to the 2 May 1987 LAHExam, principal cast members each received percentages of the gross profits or net participation.
       As the film continued to dominate the box-office, Ray Parker, Jr.’s title song shot to the top of the pop singles chart by the end of summer 1984. However, the catchy theme became a controversial issue when, on 29 Aug 1984, singer-songwriter Huey Lewis filed a plagiarism lawsuit against Parker, claiming that the “Ghostbusters” melody bore “remarkable similarities” to his recent song, “I Want A New Drug.” According to the 22 Nov 1984 issue of Rolling Stone, Lewis had turned down an opportunity to write a song for the film, since he was already working on the soundtrack for Back to the Future (1985, see entry). As a result, producers approached Parker to create a theme using Lewis’s hit as a reference. The suit was settled out of court, as reported by the 12 Sep 1985 Rolling Stone. A 12 Jul 1984 DV brief stated that Reitman directed the song’s official music video, which featured Murray, Aykroyd, Ramis, and Ernie Hudson, as well as celebrity cameos from Chevy Chase, Carly Simon, John Candy, Peter Falk, Irene Cara, Melissa Gilbert, and Teri Garr.
       The following summer, the 29 Jul 1985 HR reported that Columbia chose to capitalize on the film’s popularity by reissuing 850 prints on 25 Aug 1985, accompanied by an entirely new marketing campaign.
       Ghostbusters received Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song and Visual Effects, and ranks #28 on AFI’s list of 100 Years…100 Laughs. On 16 Dec 2015, HR announced that the film had been inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.
       As The Real Ghostbusters cartoon enjoyed success on television throughout the late 1980s, Columbia, Reitman, and the principal cast decided to reprise their roles for Ghostbusters II (1989, see entry). The film was eventually followed by a second animated series, Extreme Ghostbusters (FOX, 1 Sep 1997—14 Dec 1997), which introduced a new generation of characters. The franchise also continued with several comic books and video games, including Atari’s 2009 release, Ghostbusters: The Video Game, written by Aykroyd and Ramis, who also lent their voices along with Murray, Hudson, Annie Potts, and William Atherton. Although repeated attempts were made to reunite the original cast for a third feature film, development stalled for several years amid complications with the script and casting, and Reitman eventually left the project following Ramis’s death in Feb 2014. In 2016, Paul Feig “rebooted” the franchise for Ghostbusters with Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones in the leading roles. Reitman and Aykroyd served as producers. A sequel directed and co-written by Ivan Reitman's son, Jason Reitman, was released in 2021 under the title Ghostbusters: Afterlife.
       End credits misspell the surname of Ernie Hudson's character, "Winston Zeddemore," as "Zeddmore."
       Onscreen acknowledgments state: "The Producers wish to Thank: The New York Office for Motion Pictures and Television Production," and, "Thanks also to Suzy Benzinger, Will Fowler, Amy Friedman, Frank Krenz, Hal Landaker, Joanna Lipari, The Los Angeles Public Library, Peggy Semtob, Don Shay and Chris Stoia."

Less

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS
SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
BAM
15 Jun 1984
p. 28
Cinefex
Jun 1984
pp. 5-53
Daily Variety
9 Dec 1982
---
Daily Variety
1 Dec 1983
p. 8
Daily Variety
12 Jun 1984
p. 6
Daily Variety
12 Jul 1984
p. 14
Daily Variety
11 Jul 1984
p. 14, 20
Hollywood Reporter
8 Nov 1983
---
Hollywood Reporter
3 May 1984
---
Hollywood Reporter
6 Jun 1984
p. 4, 12
Hollywood Reporter
29 Jul 1985
---
Hollywood Reporter
16 Dec 2015
---
LA Weekly
29 Jun-5 Jul 1984
p. 27
LAHExam
2 May 1987
---
Los Angeles Times
15 May 1982
---
Los Angeles Times
8 Jun 1984
Calendar, p. 1
New York Times
8 Jun 1984
p. 5
New York Times
15 Jun 1984
---
New York Times
8 Aug 1984
---
Rolling Stone
22 Nov 1984
---
Rolling Stone
12 Sep 1985
---
Science Fiction Chronicle
Feb-Mar 2000
p. 46
Screen International
22 Dec 1984
---
Variety
6 Jun 1984
p. 20
Variety
27 Jun 1984
---
CAST
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
+
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
PRODUCTION TEXTS
From Columbia-Delphi Productions
A Columbia Pictures Presentation
A Black Rhino/Bernie Brillstein Production
An Ivan Reitman Film
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTORS
Prod mgr
1st asst dir
2d asst dir
DGA trainee
Unit prod mgr, New York crew
1st asst dir, New York crew
2d asst dir, New York crew
2d asst dir, New York crew
DGA trainee, New York crew
PRODUCERS
Assoc prod
Assoc prod
Exec prod
WRITERS
PHOTOGRAPHY
Dir of photog
Bob Stevens
Cam op
1st asst cam
2d asst cam
Best boy
Key grip
Bob Munoz
Grip best boy
Still photog
Dir of photog, New York crew
1st asst cam, New York crew
2d asst cam, New York crew
Steadicam op, New York crew
Still photog, New York crew
Gaffer, New York crew
Key grip, New York crew
ART DIRECTORS
Prod des
Art dir, New York crew
FILM EDITORS
Film ed
Film ed
Asst ed
Asst ed
Asst ed
SET DECORATORS
Set des
Set dec
Prop master
Const coord
Standby painter
Prop master, New York crew
Set dec, New York crew
COSTUMES
Cost supv
Costumer
Costumer
Ward supv, New York crew
Ward supv, New York crew
MUSIC
Scoring mixer
Supv mus ed, Segue Music
SOUND
Sd des
Sd ed
Sd ed
Prod sd mixer
Sd boom
Cableman
Re-rec mixer
Re-rec mixer
Re-rec mixer
VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual eff by
Spec eff supv
Spec eff foreman
Opt eff admin
Main title anim by
Titles by
[Visual eff by]
Los Angeles
Visual eff art dir, EEG
Visual eff ed, EEG
Matte dept supv, EEG
Mechanical eff supv, EEG
Chief cam, EEG
Dir of spec projects, EEG
Model shop supv, EEG
Opt supv, EEG
Anim supv, EEG
Anim supv, EEG
Chief eng, EEG
Chief matte artist, EEG
Head of ghost shop, EEG
Godfather, EEG
Prod supv, EEG
Prod coord, EEG
Cam op, EEG
Cam op, EEG
Asst cam, EEG
Asst cam, EEG
Asst cam, EEG
Still photog, EEG
Opt printer op, EEG
Opt printer op, EEG
Opt printer op, EEG
Opt line up, EEG
Opt line up, EEG
Opt line up, EEG
Ed Jones
Opt line up, EEG
Dimension anim eff, EEG
Anim, EEG
Anim, EEG
Anim, EEG
Anim, EEG
Tech anim, EEG
Tech anim, EEG
Tech anim, EEG
Tech anim, EEG
Tech anim, EEG
Tech anim, EEG
Asst matte cam, EEG
Matte artist, EEG
Matte artist, EEG
Eff man, EEG
Eff ed, EEG
Asst eff ed, EEG
Asst eff ed, EEG
Ghost shop adv, EEG
Sculptor, EEG
Sculptor, EEG
Onion Head/Librarian sculptor, EEG
Staypuft sculptor, EEG
Staypuft sculptor, EEG
Chief mold maker, EEG
Chief mechanism des, EEG
Mechanism des, EEG
Mechanism des, EEG
Mechanism des, EEG
Mechanism des, EEG
Mechanism des, EEG
Mechanism builder, EEG
Mechanism builder, EEG
Mechanism builder, EEG
Mechanism builder, EEG
Mechanism builder
Model maker, EEG
Model maker, EEG
Model maker, EEG
Model maker, EEG
Model maker, EEG
Model maker, EEG
Model maker, EEG
Model maker, EEG
Model maker, EEG
Model maker, EEG
Creature des consultant, EEG
Creature des consultant, EEG
Creature des consultant, EEG
Creature des consultant, EEG
Creature des consultant, EEG
Creature des consultant, EEG
Des eng, EEG
Des eng, EEG
Electronics eng, EEG
Electronics eng, EEG
Software programmer, EEG
MAKEUP
Makeup artist
Hairstylist
Makeup artist, New York crew
PRODUCTION MISC
Casting
Scr supv
Transportation coord
Driver capt
Loc mgr
Prod coord
Asst prod coord
Prod accountant
Secy to Mr. Reitman
Secy to Mr. Gross & Mr. Medjuck
Hardware consultant
Hardware consultant
Casting, New York crew
Prod coord, New York crew
Loc mgr, New York crew
Loc mgr, New York crew
Teamster capt, New York crew
Prod secy, EEG
Prod secy, EEG
Prod secy, EEG
STAND INS
Stunt coord
COLOR PERSONNEL
[Col by]
SOURCES
SONGS
"Ghostbusters," written and performed by Ray Parker, Jr., Ray Parker, Jr. appears courtesy of Arista Records, Inc.; "Savin' The Day," written by Bobby Alessi and Dave Immer, produced by Phil Ramone, performed by Alessi; "Hot Night," written by Diane Warren and The Doctor, produced by Jack White and Robbin Buchanan, performed by Laura Branigan, Laura Branigan courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp. by arrangement with Warner Special Products; "Disco Inferno," written by Leroy Green and Ron Kersey, produced by Ron Kersey, performed by The Trammps, The Trammps courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp. by arrangement with Warner Special Products; "Cleanin' Up The Town," written by Kevin O'Neal and Brian O'Neal, produced by Kevin O'Neal, Brian O'Neal and John Hug, performed by The Bus Boys, The Bus Boys appear courtesy of Arista Records, Inc.; "In The Name Of Love," written by T. Bailey, produced by Steve Lillywhite, performed by Thompson Twins, Thompson Twins appear courtesy of Arista Records, Inc.; "I Can Wait Forever," written by Graham Russell, David Foster and Jay Graydon, produced by David Foster and Jay Graydon, performed by Air Supply, Air Supply appears courtesy of Arista Records, Inc.; "Magic," written by Mick Smiley, produced by Keith Forsey, performed by Mick Smiley.
SONGWRITERS/COMPOSERS
+
DETAILS
Series:
Alternate Titles:
Ghost Busters
Ghost Smashers
Release Date:
8 June 1984
Premiere Information:
Los Angeles premiere: 7 Jun 1984; Los Angeles and New York openings: 8 Jun 1984
Production Date:
Oct 1983--Feb 1984
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.
28 June 1984
PA216987
Physical Properties:
Sound
Recorded in Dolby Stereo® in selected theatres
Color
Lenses
Filmed in Panavision®
Duration(in mins):
105
MPAA Rating:
PG
Country:
United States
Language:
English
PCA No:
27436
SYNOPSIS

When an employee of the New York City Public Library is terrorized by an unseen phantom, library administrator Roger Delacorte consults Columbia University parapsychologists Raymond “Ray” Stantz, Peter Venkman, and Egon Spengler. Following readings from a Psychokinetic Energy Meter, the trio encounters their first free-floating apparition in the form of an elderly librarian. Unsure how to proceed, they creep toward the ghost, which frightens them away. Afterward, Peter, Ray, and Egon return to their office at Columbia to discover that their funding has been revoked. Although Ray is concerned about their academic reputations, Peter suggests they seize the opportunity to open their own business as paranormal exterminators. Taking out a mortgage on Ray’s ancestral home, the three friends purchase a dilapidated firehouse and dub themselves the “Ghostbusters.” Across town, concert cellist Dana Barrett returns to her Central Park West penthouse apartment while dodging the awkward romantic advances of her neighbor, Louis Tully. As she unpacks groceries, several eggs leap from their carton and begin cooking on the counter. A low growl suddenly emits from the refrigerator, where she finds a dog-like demon that snarls the word “Zuul.” After seeing the Ghostbusters’ commercial on television, Dana visits their new headquarters to tell them about her experience. Instantly smitten, Peter volunteers to search Dana’s apartment while Ray and Egon refer to their usual resources for clues. Although Dana coldly rebuffs his overtures, Peter remains determined to win her affection by solving the case. That night, as the Ghostbusters celebrate their first client, secretary Janine Melnitz receives a call complaining of a ghost prowling the twelfth floor of the upscale Sedgewick Hotel. With portable particle accelerators strapped to their backs, the Ghostbusters ...

More Less

When an employee of the New York City Public Library is terrorized by an unseen phantom, library administrator Roger Delacorte consults Columbia University parapsychologists Raymond “Ray” Stantz, Peter Venkman, and Egon Spengler. Following readings from a Psychokinetic Energy Meter, the trio encounters their first free-floating apparition in the form of an elderly librarian. Unsure how to proceed, they creep toward the ghost, which frightens them away. Afterward, Peter, Ray, and Egon return to their office at Columbia to discover that their funding has been revoked. Although Ray is concerned about their academic reputations, Peter suggests they seize the opportunity to open their own business as paranormal exterminators. Taking out a mortgage on Ray’s ancestral home, the three friends purchase a dilapidated firehouse and dub themselves the “Ghostbusters.” Across town, concert cellist Dana Barrett returns to her Central Park West penthouse apartment while dodging the awkward romantic advances of her neighbor, Louis Tully. As she unpacks groceries, several eggs leap from their carton and begin cooking on the counter. A low growl suddenly emits from the refrigerator, where she finds a dog-like demon that snarls the word “Zuul.” After seeing the Ghostbusters’ commercial on television, Dana visits their new headquarters to tell them about her experience. Instantly smitten, Peter volunteers to search Dana’s apartment while Ray and Egon refer to their usual resources for clues. Although Dana coldly rebuffs his overtures, Peter remains determined to win her affection by solving the case. That night, as the Ghostbusters celebrate their first client, secretary Janine Melnitz receives a call complaining of a ghost prowling the twelfth floor of the upscale Sedgewick Hotel. With portable particle accelerators strapped to their backs, the Ghostbusters follow the slimy green phantom to the hotel’s main ballroom as it gluttonously searches for food. Although they triumphantly harness and trap the ghost using beams of positively charged ions, Egon warns that crossing the energy streams could have devastating effects. Once news of their first “bust” reaches the media, the Ghostbusters quickly gain national fame and hire Winston Zeddemore as a fourth team member to help manage their increased workload. Their public profile rouses several skeptics, including Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agent Walter Peck, who is wary of the Ghostbusters’ unlicensed methods for storing the captured ghosts. Meanwhile, Peter arrives at Dana’s apartment for a date and finds that she has been possessed by Zuul, a demonic minion of the sadistic Sumerian god, Gozer. Also known as the “Gatekeeper,” Zuul repeatedly asks for “Keymaster” Vinz Clortho, who has taken possession of Louis Tully. Police find Vinz prowling the streets and bring the demon to Ghostbusters headquarters, where Egon determines that Vinz and Zuul should be kept apart. Early the next morning, Walter Peck returns with a court order to search the firehouse and shut down the Ghostbusters’ containment unit. Ignoring their warnings, Peck’s man powers down the protection grid, causing an explosion that releases hundreds of ghosts back into the city. Amid the commotion, Vinz escapes and reunites with Zuul on the roof of Dana and Louis’s building. In prison, Ray studies the blueprints of Dana’s apartment and reveals that the building was designed by Ivo Shandor, a Gozer worshipper who performed bizarre rituals intended to bring about the end of the world. During a meeting with the mayor, the Ghosbusters warn of the impending danger, pleading for the opportunity to prove themselves and save New York City. He agrees, and the Ghostbusters arrive at the condemned apartment just as a black storm cloud appears overhead. Encouraged by a cheering crowd, the four men climb to the roof, which Vinz and Zuul have transformed into a gateway to another dimension. Suddenly, Gozer emerges, assuming the appearance of an androgynous woman. When the Ghostbusters' equipment proves powerless to its tricks, Gozer allows the men to choose its next physical form. Although Peter encourages his friends to keep their minds blank, Ray accidentally recalls the image of the beloved mascot for Stay Puft Marshmallows. Moments later, a one-hundred-foot manifestation of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man lumbers through the streets and begins to scale the building. Fearing for their lives, Egon reconsiders his original warning and suggests they cross their proton streams in order to generate a positive energy influx big enough to destroy the gateway. The plan succeeds, creating a massive explosion that detonates the Marshmallow Man and covers the city in sticky white sludge. Unharmed, Dana and Louis emerge from their possessed daze and accompany the Ghostbusters downstairs to greet their adoring fans.

Less

Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

TOP SEARCHES

Starchaser: The Legend of Orin

Character names were not included in onscreen credits. The spelling of names and places are taken from film reviews, the Wikipedia entry, and from the following website: starchaserorin.tripod.com. ... >>

Bravestarr: The Legend

       Referring to the picture by its working title, Bravestarr, the 9 Jun 1986 DV announced that Filmation, a division of Group W Productions, was ... >>

The Men

The working title of this film was The Courage of Ten . Modern sources list Battle Stripe as another working title--it was also used for the ... >>

Happily Ever After

The film opens with sketch illustrations depicting the ending of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938, see entry). The images are accompanied by voice-over narration of ... >>

The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.